Blame it on the mistletoe
by SveaR
Summary: Nick doesn't like Christmas at all. But no matter what time of the year, he's always there to help a friend in need. And suddenly Christmas isn't as bad as it seemed anymore, thanks to a mistletoe.


**A/N: I know Christmas is nearly over, but I wasn't able to finish this one-shot earlier. **

**Merry (late) Christmas to everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval or the characters - but I do own the mistakes I made ;-) ...even though**

**it was beta read by Cehsja, there might be a few - I just had to add a few things after she read it over!  
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**I got the idea to the story as the song "Blame it on the mistletoe" was playing in the radio**

**And now I just want you to enjoy it! Reviews are welcome!  
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**Blame it on the mistletoe**

It was nearly 9pm and Nick was rushing through the mall. It was December the 23rd, only one more day until Christmas Eve, and he had forgotten about stocking up on groceries. Now his ultimate goal was to get everything finished as soon as possible, but the huge amount of last-minute shoppers made it impossible.

Nick couldn't deny it; he was stressed and upset with himself. While everyone around him seemed to enjoy Christmas, he simply hated it.

The team had worked on all other holidays during the year and much to Nick's dismay, Lester had now set up a skeleton crew to give the main team a few days off. While Abby and Connor were thrilled and singing Christmas songs back and forth the entire day, Nick couldn't care less. He actually wanted to hide away in his flat, shutting out the world, until the holidays were over.

As a kid, Christmas was such a special time for Nick. He loved to remember the dinner with his parents and grandparents on Christmas Eve and the feeling of pure joy he felt on Christmas morning when he entered the living room to be greeted by a lighted Christmas tree and the wrapped presents underneath. They all would have breakfast together before Nick was allowed to open his gifts. Yes, Christmas used to be special for him, but that was too long ago.

As Nick got on with his shopping, he pushed the thoughts of his childhood away. Even when Helen was still around, Christmas wasn't the same anymore. During their first years together Nick had tried to get Helen into a festival mood too, but to her it was only a necessary evil. Sure she had bought gifts for Nick and her parents, but just because she felt like she had to do so. Helen was never keen about giving the gifts a second thought.

Ever since she had disappeared, Nick had banned Christmas and all other holidays from his calendar. He hadn't had the strength to face these days alone.

Within only fifteen minutes, some bread, butter, jelly, fries, chicken and some beer found their way into Nick's trolley. As he paid for his purchases, a familiar figure caught his eyes: Claudia Brown.

She was cursing silently as he approached her.  
>"Are you alright?" His voice caused Claudia to jump.<p>

"Nick!" She glanced at him quickly, just to turn her eyes away seconds later as she answered, "Yep, I'm fine!"

Nick placed a hand under her chin forcing her to look at him, not saying a word. Her veneer started to break under his gaze.

"No! I'll be all alone for Christmas. My parents decided to go on a cruise, my friends are spending the holidays with their families, there is no boyfriend in my life and even though Abby and Connor promised to come around, they won't do so before the evening of Boxing Day. Oh, and my car broke down yesterday so now I have to carry my shopping bags all the way home. Don't ask, I'm not going to call a cab!"

Nick didn't asked, just like he was told, but his eyes were showing the massive curiosity anyway.

"Okay!" Claudia groaned, "I just can't stand to be driven somewhere by a total stranger, that's why I would never take a cab! Oh and before you wonder, it's a whole different story with the bus or the tube…there I'm not alone!"

Without saying another word, Nick grabbed her bags and started to walk out of the mall, leaving a startled Claudia behind. When she didn't follow, Nick turned around. "Don't you wanna come? I don't own a cab, and you know me. So I can drive you home!"

His words caused Claudia to snap out of her trace. She caught up with Nick as he was already loading all her bags, along with his grocery, into the boot of his car.

They drove in comfortable silence until a question forming in Claudia's mind got the better of her.

"I thought you don't like Christmas?" She said, eyeing him curiously. Reading the lines behind the question, Nick smirked at her, "I don't. But that doesn't mean I can't help a friend in need."

For the rest of the way they chattered away lightly, mostly about the latest misfortunes of Connor. They laughed a lot and enjoyed each other's company to the fullest.

To Claudia's surprise, Nick didn't need help to find the way to her home. Still when they arrived at her house she said, "We are here! Thanks for helping!" Before Claudia could get out of the car, Nick was already unloading her bags.

As she met him on the walkway, Claudia reached out to take the bags from him, but Nick only stepped away. "Claudia Brown, I am a gentleman. I said I will help you with these bags. There is no way I will let you carry them the rest of the way, even if it were just an inch."

Claudia couldn't suppress her laughter, "I don't really have a choice, right?" Her voice was full of amusement.

Nick shook his head and made his way to her front door, waiting for Claudia to unlock it. Claudia walked towards her kitchen and as Nick put the bags onto the table, she had already placed a kettle on the stove. "You are the one who has no choice now!" She smiled at the professor brightly. "I'm making us a cup of tea – and there is no way you can get out of it!"

Nick didn't reply. He looked around the kitchen, taking in every little detail. The kitchen was held in white, the cupboards were shaped like a U, the stove was leading into the room and had a little counter as boundary behind it.

Nick sat down on one of the bar chairs in front of the stove and watched Claudia as she stored away her purchases. A comfortable silence lay over the kitchen as a little green branch caught his eyes when Claudia walked towards the fridge.

He got up as quietly as possible and snuck up on her. Claudia's eyes went huge as she turned around and found herself face to face with Nick, who stared at her fondly. "You're standing under the mistletoe," she heard him whisper before he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

A warm feeling rushed through her body, a feeling she had long forgotten about. As they parted they stared into each others eyes, neither able to break the spell that had settled over them.

"I'd hoped you'd do that some day," Claudia whispered as she placed her arms around his neck.

It wasn't until the unmistakable whistling sound of the kettle announced the boiling of the water that the two broke their embrace.

Before she could react in any way, Nick passed by her and filled the two cups that Claudia had placed on the counter before with water. He handed one over the brown-haired woman in front of him, who smiled up at him.

She left the kitchen, motioning for Nick to follow her; together they entered the living room. Nick was surprised by the room. It was the same size as the kitchen, had one large window and a door leading to the balcony. The room was again decorated in white, and a red sofa and a small Christmas tree were the only spots of colour.

Claudia walked over to a small fireplace Nick had missed before. She started a fire, turned the radio on which stood on the windowsill, and finally take a seat on the sofa.

Nick followed her lead and, to his surprise, she cuddled up against him. She didn't meet his eyes, as she was a little afraid to have just crossed a line, but much to her relief Nick wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her a little closer.

"May I ask you something?" Nick asked in a voice which was full of amusement. "Why do you actually have mistletoes hanging in your kitchen?"

Claudia took a long look at Nick, wondering if he was really interested in the answer. As she started to talk her eyes got a little misty and fixated a point in the distance.

"It's just a Christmas tradition my parents started. I must have been around five or six years old when my dad placed one in our kitchen, just over the oven. He told me that he loved the idea behind it and that he would have an excuse to kiss my mum every time she'd cook. Whenever he got home from work in the evening, I made sure to be in the kitchen too. He always first kissed my mum and told her how much he loved her. Then he'd pick me up; spin me around just to place a kiss on my forehead.

I just grew so fond to this tradition that I make sure to have my own mistletoe when Christmas comes around. Every time my parents come to my flat in that time, my dad would sneak up to me while I'd be in the kitchen just to kiss my forehead and tell me how much he loves me. He stopped spinning me around when I was around ten years." Claudia winked at Nick and added "And you know, there's always a chance of a gentleman coming by!"

Nick had no idea what to answer; instead he just placed a small kiss on her hair.

They let silence settle in again as they watched the flames, both lost in their thoughts about past Christmases.

As time passed, both of them grew tired. The warmth proceeded by the fire, the dim light and the soft background music weren't much help to keep them awake.

But before Nick let tiredness win over, he gently took the cup from Claudia's hands and placed it on the floor beside the sofa. He gave himself a few minutes to take in the sleeping form in his arms. As Claudia moved in her sleep, he took the opportunity to bring her closer to him. Her head was now resting on his chest and one of her arms was wrapped loosely around his waist.

A smile spread on his face, if it wasn't for Christmas, there wouldn't have been the mistletoe in her flat, and if it wasn't for the mistletoe, he wouldn't have kissed her.

It was just on small kiss, they hadn't talked about it, but it was the feeling that was just right.

And Nick was happy, happy that he had a little wrapped box in the pocket of his coat; a wrapped gift that waited to be unpacked on Christmas Morning; unpacked by Claudia Brown.

His unpacked grocery in the boot was long forgotten.


End file.
